Following a successful debut in 2006, CEDIA (the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association) has announced details of the CEDIA 2007 Awards which will feature new and expanded categories to recognise excellence in the world of home electronic systems.
“We were delighted with the quality and range of entries for the inaugural CEDIA Awards in 2006’” says CEDIA Chairman, Simon Williams. “They proved incredibly popular, attracting 46 entries in the four installation categories. We have taken on board suggestions from judges and the membership, and believe that the CEDIA Awards 2007 will offer improved opportunities for member companies from across Zone 1 to have their skills and professionalism recognised and valued.”
The installation categories have been reviewed and extended from four to seven. Among the new categories is a ‘Best International Project’ category, open to all Zone 1 members for installations undertaken outside the UK. Meanwhile, a ‘Special Project Category’ will provide recognition for members working providing more unusual smart-home solutions, such as, social housing projects, environmentally friendly homes or just the plain bizarre! To provide greater clarity for entrants, installation categories have been re-classified both by value and by type of installation – single room or whole house installation.
The full list of ‘CEDIA Awards 2007’ categories are as follows:
- Best home cinema installation project under £20K (35,000 Euros)
- Best home cinema installation from £20K-£100K (35,000-150,000 Euros)
- Best integrated home under £100K (150,000 Euros)
- Best integrated home over £100,000 (over 150,000 Euros)
- Best multi-dwelling installation
- Best international project
- Best special project
- Best trade supplier
- Best stand at Expo 2007
Awards entry forms will shortly be available, with a deadline of 31st March 2007 for entries. Each category, excluding ‘Best Trade Supplier’ and ‘Best Stand at Expo 2007’, will be judged by an expert panel comprising building industry professionals and journalists from the interior design, architectural and AV worlds. Winners will be announced at a special presentation at CEDIA Expo 2007, which takes place at ExCeL London on 25th – 28th June 2007.
The award for ‘Best Trade Supplier’ is to be judged by an online vote via the CEDIA website (www.cedia.co.uk) open to all CEDIA members and will recognise the top manufacturer or distributor in the industry. Judging criteria will include the standards of service, support, product innovations and training provided to members. ‘Best Stand at CEDIA Expo 2007’ will not require a formal entry, and will be judged at Expo itself by the AEO (Association of Exhibition Organisers).
Winning a CEDIA Award has already proven a powerful marketing tool for those successful in the 2006 scheme, with extensive media coverage generated in consumer publications, such as, The Sunday Times, Home Cinema Choice, SmartLife International as well as other magazines.
“What a fantastic seal of approval. Our customers love it that they’re buying systems and having them installed by an award-winning company”
Jason Skuse, Laservision, Best Installation under £20,000
“Winning the CEDIA award has given everyone at Audiofile a boost, and has proved a big help to our marketing effort. It ensured that this project caught the eye of an influential journalist who wrote an article on the installation for The Sunday Times, generating more enquiries and work for the company. We’re delighted!”
Roger Skillman, Audiofile, Best Installation between £20,000 and £100,000
“We were very proud to win the award as it recognised a lot of hard work for those working on the project. The resulting publicity has been excellent for SMC and has contributed to several new projects.”
Robin Courtenay, SMC, Best Installation over £100,000
“Recognition by our clients, our vendors and CEDIA is very important to us and acknowledges the very high standard and quality of our work”
Paul Rose, Icon Connect, Best Multi-Dwelling Installation
“It was great to see that all of our hard work over the last year has been appreciated by our dealers. Having Kapes and David on board supporting installers with their installations and technical questions will mean even better service from Pulse in the coming years, on our ever growing portfolio of products”.
Mike Beatty, Pulse Marketing, ‘CEDIA Award for Best Supplier’
“We were delighted to win, given the serious competition. It was a great honour for Linn to be selected by leading exhibition industry bodies and made all of our efforts worthwhile.”
Susan Duncan, Marketing Executive, Linn Products Ltd, Best Stand at CEDIA UK Expo
The CEDIA Awards is open only to CEDIA member companies. For more information on judging criteria, timescales and an entry form, visit www.cedia.co.uk.